steam train engines - darjeeling (india)

steam train engines - darjeeling (india)

Steam locomotives at the Darjeeling train yard (India)

Those two locomotives (#788 "Tusker" and ­#782 "Mountaineer") are warm and ready to work.­ One of them will be used to pull the next train, while a spare one is kept ready in case of last-minute problems with the main one.­ Because it takes hours to heat-up the steam boiler, the two steam engines must be warm and ready hours before the train is scheduled to leave.­ A railroad worker is staying up all night and feeding coal in their furnaces to keep both engines warm.­

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, locally known as the "Toy Train", is a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge railway that runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling (India).­ It is still operated by vintage British-built B Class steam locomotives.­ Operations between Siliguri and Kurseong have been temporarily suspended since 2010 following a Landslide at Tindharia (view photos of the landslide).­